Naruto: Eroninja

Trouble in the Sand and the Pack: Part III

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Also this story is a lemon fiction therefore is intended for people of a legal age from wherever they come from. So if these type of stories offend then stop reading now. Thanks.

Chapter 49: Trouble in Sand and The Pack: Part III

Temari approached the apartment building where she lived followed by Kankuro, who had insisted that he escort her. She had just spent several hours arguing with Gaara, who had not relented in accepting the Daimyo's decree. The worst part was that no matter how much she called him a stubborn fool, she couldn't deny that his reasons for doing so made sense. She began heading into her building, but stopped as Kankuro asked, "Temari, what are we going to do?"

Trying to keep a strong appearance as she had for most of her life, since she had primarily taken care of her younger brother while her uncle had tended to Gaara, she answered, "I...I don't know. We'll try to reason with him again tomorrow. No matter how right he is in claiming we can't defy the Daimyo without Suna suffering, there has to be a way."

Kankuro although skeptical, still accepted her words as the lifeline of hope that she had meant for them to be. "Alright then, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Temari said before making the rest of the journey to her apartment, and almost as soon as her door closed the tears she had been fighting back all day began to fall. Therefore, it didn't come as much of a surprise when several moments later Naruto appeared as she knew she had likely been broadcasting her distress into the network of women that bore his mark. Temari didn't care though as all she wanted was for someone to be the strong one for a change.

"Temari, what's...?" Naruto began to ask, but quickly found the air knocked out of him as she launched herself at him. Unprepared for it, they both fell to the ground as Temari cried into his chest shocking the jinchuriki. He wrapped his arms around her as he waited for her to reach a point where she could tell him what had upset her so greatly.

Finally, after they had remained in the same position for over an hour Temari finally said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Naruto asked confused since with a few wipes at her eyes his lover seemed to have regained her composer.

Temari didn't smile as she stood, but before she turned away her eyes shone with the gratitude that she felt at being able let her emotions go. She answered him by saying, "I just never had a chance to let myself go like that and have someone comfort me. I...I really needed it."

Naruto nodded as his damp shirt could attest. Standing, he came up behind his lover and asked, "Now what put you in such a state?"

Temari for a moment felt the need to cry all over again, but this time pushed it away as she knew nothing would come of it. Turning to face her lover she said, "I'm guessing that by now Komachi has reported what happened here after Joseki's trail." Naruto inclined his head prompting her to explain the latest development, "Today we received a member of the Daimyo's court who was acting as his representative. The Daimyo has decreed that for his possible involvement in the crime, Gaara is to be executed in six days."

She wasn't all too surprised by the shock that appeared on Naruto's face, nor how it quickly shifted to anger as he said, "Who the fuck does the Wind Daimyo think he is? He can't just order Gaara's death without allowing him..."

"Naruto, that's exactly what he can do," Temari said stomping him mid-rant.

"What?" Naruto said confused, "But Gaara and he are equals in the grand scheme of things."

"That's what we're taught in the academy," Temari said unemotionally at first. But then some bitterness seeped in as she added, "But that's not how the world actually works. It's just that in most instances that the Daimyo don't meddle in village affairs so heavy-handedly." Temari held her hand out towards her bedroom window, "But the truth is all this was built on the Daimyo's land which he lent to the First Kazekage which we pay for with our service to him. It's the same story for all the Shinobi Villages that exist. They let us operate as we choose, because in return we protect their countries, but that protection extends both ways and without it, all this will be swept away like dust in the wind."